Heather stepped onto the other end of the bench to help, glancing again toward Bracken and Kaley. The man adored his girls, both his wife and his daughter. It was obvious to anyone who saw them. It was also infectious and impossible not to envy what Bex had.
“You okay?” Bex asked as they moved to another bench under the pavilion. “You’ve been kind of quiet lately.”
Heather pasted on a better smile. She hadn’t realized anyone had noticed. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Why are you so tired?” came a deep male voice from behind her.
She nearly fell off the bench at the unexpected addition to their pavilion. She almost fell again as she spun around to meet his gaze.
Luckily, Neil had stepped close enough to reach out and steady Heather with his hands on her hips. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
Heather’s heart raced from the momentary shock, but it doubled when he touched her. “Thanks.” She glanced at where his hands still lingered on her hips and then back at him. “I think I’m good now.”
He lifted a brow. “You sure?” He lifted her off the bench and set her on the concrete. “How about you let me hang the streamers?”
“You’re early,” Bex pointed out, shaking a finger at him. “I was hoping to have all the decorating done before everyone arrived.”
Neil reached up into the corner of the pavilion to attach another streamer. The man was six-foot, muscular, and had a body women swooned over. Except for Heather. She didn’t swoon over anyone. At least that’s what she told herself.
“Bracken asked me to come early and help.”
Bex lifted both brows, glancing at her husband and then Heather. “Did he now?”
Heather flushed. This wasn’t unusual. She was a member of a large friend group in which only two of them remained single. Neil and herself. No matter what function they went to, their friends were constantly going out of their way to try to set the two of them up.
The effort was in vain. Heather wasn’t interested, and it was apparent Neil wasn’t either.
Okay, maybe she was lying to herself. She was interested in Neil. Everyone was. On top of his fantastic body, he had a fun, friendly disposition, dimples that made him endearing, and dark brown wavy hair she kind of wanted to run her hands through.
She would never act on her interest, of course. But just because she’d sworn off men didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate a sexy male specimen from a distance.
“What can I do next, ladies?” Neil asked as he finished hanging the streamers.
Bex grabbed the keys from the picnic table and tossed them in his direction. “Could the two of you finish unloading the back of the SUV?”
“Yep.” Neil glanced at Heather and flashed her those dimples.
As they walked away, Bex called out. “Be careful with the cupcakes. They’re kind of precarious.”
“No problem,” Neil returned. He grinned as he glanced at Heather. “I would never miss an event featuring desserts made by Bex, would you?”
“Not a chance,” she agreed. “I bet they have some sort of filling she slaved over for two days and the most decadent butter cream frosting we’ve ever sunk our teeth into.”
“Agreed.” He opened the hatch on the back of the SUV. “Wow. They’re even better than I imagined. She must have spent all night making those.” He glanced at the picnic table. “Didn’t I see a cake on the table too?”
Heather chuckled. “Yep. That one is for Kaley to destroy with her fingers and smash all over her face for a photo op. No one is going to want to eat it after she gets her little hands on it. Bex made the cupcakes for the rest of us.”
Neil laughed. “Of course, she did.” He pointed at a brown paper bag. “Can you grab that? I’ll carry the cupcakes. The sheet looks heavy and awkward.”
Heather agreed. She certainly didn’t want the responsibility.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Neil pointed out as he slid the cupcakes closer to the edge of the car.
“What question?” Heather watched him easily handling the sheet of cupcakes, cool as a cucumber. She felt flustered, which happened every time she was alone with him. There was no real explanation. She’d known him for more than a year and he’d never done a thing to cause her to stammer and flush around him. And yet it happened every time.
The man was friendly and polite. He glanced at her now, brows slightly furrowed with concern. “You said you were tired. Are you working a lot of hours?”
Heather sighed. “No. I have rude neighbors who scream at each other day and night.” She picked up a second bag and glanced at him. “Well, that’s not entirely true. The man screams all the time. I assume he’s screaming at the woman who lives there. I’ve never heard her voice.” Heather shuddered and cringed at the same time.
“Ugh. That’s a pain in the butt. Have you reported the guy to your apartment management?”
“God, no.” She wouldn’t do that in a million years. People were volatile. That asshole was liable to shoot her through the apartment wall if she ratted on him.
No way did Heather want to have this discussion with Neil. If he thought he could talk her into complaining, he was crazy. She knew he meant well and all, but he wasn’t a five-foot-four woman living alone.
Heather hurried back to the picnic area and deposited her bags on the table. She proceeded to avoid Neil while she pulled out table clothes and cute paper plates. She couldn’t picture ever having a kid herself. It seemed as farfetched as a trip to Mars.
As everyone started arriving, Heather slid into her usual out-of-body experience—the one where she felt like she was watching a sitcom unfold in front of her. All of these women were her co-workers, and somehow they’d managed to fall in love with a group of friends from Westside Programmers.
It was eerie, and she was well-aware that they were all hoping she and Neil would hook up. The problem wasn’t Neil; he was a great guy. He seemed perfectly amazing. The problem was that Heather wasn’t interested in getting into another relationship with any man.
Heather’s history with men wasn’t pleasant. Starting with her own father and ending with her last ill-fated relationship with the same airline pilot, Hawke Richman, who had terrorized Shayla before finally getting cornered and committing suicide.
Apparently what they said was true—people did tend to fall for men who resemble their fathers. Granted, Heather hadn’t dated very many men, but the few she had gone out with had been very poor choices.
She could break the cycle. She knew exactly how to do it. Stop dating men. She was perfectly fine on her own. She came and went from her apartment without a single person bitching about dishes in the sink, a toothpaste tube left open, dinner not being ready on time.
When you lived alone, that shit didn’t happen. It was a relief. At least until her new neighbors moved in and proceeded to prove her point day in and day out. Men were assholes.
Most men at least. Heather readily admitted her friends had managed to find amazing guys. At least all of them appeared to be wonderful on the outside. She couldn’t say for sure what happened between closed doors, but in public, Jason, Mack, Bracken, Jake, and Deacon all appeared to be picture-perfect, doting, significant others.
Presumably, Neil was too. And that was just fine. He could be the perfect man for any woman he wanted. Just not her. The thought of entering into another relationship exhausted her. It wasn’t going to happen.
It would almost be easier if Neil were a jerk or scowled at her. But he didn’t do that. He was obnoxiously polite. He also never hit on her. He’d never once asked her out or called or texted. Nothing.
She was glad because it kept her from having to turn him down. And since they’d been running in the same circles for over a year, she had to assume he wasn’t interested in going out with her any more than she was with him.
Case closed.
Still, just to be safe, she tried hard to ignore him and give him no reason to think she was interested. The onl
y thing she could think of that would be worse than starting a new relationship with Neil would be telling the man she wasn’t interested.
Mostly because that would be a lie, and lies made her fidget.
Two hours later, the party was in full swing. The only person not playing either horseshoes or badminton or one of the other lawn games was Raeann. She was almost seven months pregnant and looked uncomfortable.
She had to be the most exhausted one of them all. Even though she was no longer working for the airline, she was married to Deacon and he’d been a package deal, an insta-family. His niece was about four and his nephew two. He and Raeann had adopted the children after Deacon’s brother and his wife died in a car accident.
Deacon was running all over corralling the kids while Raeann sat under the pavilion smiling like she’d won the lottery.
“Where did the clouds come from?” Christa called out, tipping her head back to stare at the sky.
Within moments, the afternoon turned dark and everyone started rushing around, gathering up the equipment to get it all under one of the many pavilions surrounding them.
When the rain suddenly let loose, Heather grabbed the pile of cornhole bean bags next to her feet and rushed for the closest pavilion. It happened so fast that she still managed to get wet.
“Great,” she muttered as she glanced down at her pale-yellow sundress. It was soaked and sticking to her body.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned.”
Heather jerked her gaze up to see that Neil had rushed for the same shelter. Awesome. She shifted her gaze to see where everyone else was just as a loud boom of thunder ripped through the air.
She let out an involuntary squeal at the shock. The rain came down harder. She could barely make out the rest of her friends, all of them huddled in groups under one of four pavilions. They were bleary through the sheets of rain.
“You okay?” Neil asked.
Heather shivered, goosebumps rising all over her arms. The air took on a sudden chill, the breeze making her cross her arms, which was just as well since her stupid wet dress was now displaying her peaked nipples. “Right as rain,” she muttered.
Neil sat on one of the picnic table benches and reached out to her, chuckling. “Come here. You’re freezing.”
“I’m okay,” she responded as she tucked one of her curls behind her ear, quickly yanking her arm back down to cover her chest.
“Heather. Come here. You’re going to break a tooth with all that chattering,” he teased.
She shuffled toward him, mostly because it seemed easier than continuing to argue with him. As soon as she was within his reach, he pulled her between his legs, her back to his front, and wrapped his arm around her body.
She tried to relax, but it was difficult with him touching her all over. She lowered her gaze and stared at the contrast between her small arms hugged tightly against her by his much larger ones.
He set his chin on her shoulder. “Better?”
Define better. Her adrenaline was pumping hard. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe normally, but the truth was that he was affecting her in ways she’d rather he didn’t. Her nipples had been stiff from the chill and the wet material. Now they were rock hard from his embrace. She wasn’t sure she would define this as better. “Mmm-hmm.”
“I have a proposition for you.”
She held her breath. No. Nonononono. No propositions. This was why she tended to stay clear of Neil. She’d decided a long time ago that she’d rather be able to continue to think of him as one of the good guys. Pretend that he was as perfect as he seemed.
The only way to keep him in that zone was to steer clear of him. It seemed that every time she went out with a guy, she learned things about him she’d rather have never known, and then things went downhill.
He chuckled. “Don’t panic. It’s a simple proposal. I’m leaving town tomorrow afternoon for two weeks for work. I’ve been so busy dealing with this project lately that I never found someone to watch my house. Would you mind housesitting for me for two weeks?”
She licked her lips. Housesitting?
He continued. “You said you’re not getting enough sleep with the asshole next door always shouting. This way you can sleep any hours you want for two solid weeks in peace. Plus, I’ll rest better knowing someone is keeping an eye on things.”
She twisted her head to glance at him. “Do you have a dog or cat?”
“Nope. But I have plants.”
She chuckled. “Plants? You want me to stay at your house to water your plants?”
He shrugged, one corner of his mouth lifting up. “I didn’t say it was a huge job. But if you don’t stay there, they will all die, so see? It’s kind of important.”
She searched his face. He was serious. Why not take him up on his offer? She really could use the peace and quiet. He wouldn’t even be there, so it’s not like she would be engaging with him. “Okay. Sure.”
“Excellent. Do you work tomorrow or can you come by so I can show you around a bit and give you a key?”
“I can do that.”
“Perfect. I need to leave in the afternoon. Come on over whenever you want in the morning, and then the place is all yours for two weeks.”
Heather felt incredibly leery about this idea, but on the flip side, she’d love to get two full weeks of silence. The shouting next door wasn’t just noise. It grated on her nerves. She could hear every word that asshole screamed. None of it shocked her, but it still infuriated her to no end.
“I’ll be there about noon then.”
He gave her another squeeze. The rain was finally letting up. “I think I have a sweatshirt in my car. I’ll run and grab it so you don’t freeze. Then we can help Bex and Sweets clean up.”
“Thank you.” She was beyond unnerved as he released her and jogged toward his car. All she could do was watch him. The man was even sexy when he jogged. Maybe more. She needed to shake the unwanted attraction for him. Be grateful he asked her to watch his house, not go out to dinner.
She could do this. What harm could it do?
Please click here for links to continue reading Jetway.
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed the fifth book in the Open Skies series. So far the series has six books. If you’re wondering about Destiny and Trent’s story, you can read about them in Destiny’s Delta from Delta Team Three in Susan Stoker’s world.
Delta Team Three (Special Forces: Operation Alpha):
Destiny’s Delta
Open Skies:
Layover
Redeye
Nonstop
Standby
Takeoff
Jetway
Also by Becca Jameson
Surrender:
Raising Lucy
Teaching Abby
Leaving Roman
Choosing Kellen
Pleasing Josie
Honoring Hudson
Nurturing Britney
Charming Colton
Convincing Leah
Surrender Box Set One
Surrender Box Set Two
Open Skies:
Layover
Redeye
Nonstop
Standby
Takeoff
Jetway
Open Skies Box Set One
Shadow SEALs:
Shadow in the Desert
Delta Team Three (Special Forces: Operation Alpha):
Destiny’s Delta
Canyon Springs:
Caleb’s Mate
Hunter’s Mate
Corked and Tapped:
Volume One: Friday Night
Volume Two: Company Party
Volume Three: The Holidays
Project DEEP:
Reviving Emily
Reviving Trish
Reviving Dade
Reviving Zeke
Reviving Graham
Reviving Bianca
Reviving Olivia
Project DEEP Box Set One
; Project DEEP Box Set Two
SEALs in Paradise:
Hot SEAL, Red Wine
Hot SEAL, Australian Nights
Hot SEAL, Cold Feet
Hot SEAL, April’s Fool
Dark Falls:
Dark Nightmares
Club Zodiac:
Training Sasha
Obeying Rowen
Collaring Brooke
Mastering Rayne
Trusting Aaron
Claiming London
Sharing Charlotte
Taming Rex
Tempting Elizabeth
Club Zodiac Box Set One
Club Zodiac Box Set Two
Club Zodiac Box Set Three
The Art of Kink:
Pose
Paint
Sculpt
Arcadian Bears:
Grizzly Mountain
Grizzly Beginning
Grizzly Secret
Grizzly Promise
Grizzly Survival
Grizzly Perfection
Arcadian Bears Box Set One
Arcadian Bears Box Set Two
Sleeper SEALs:
Saving Zola
Spring Training:
Catching Zia
Catching Lily
Catching Ava
Spring Training Box Set
The Underground series:
Force
Clinch
Guard
Submit
Thrust
Torque
The Underground Box Set One
The Underground Box Set Two
Saving Sofia (Special Forces: Operations Alpha)
Wolf Masters series:
Takeoff (Open Skies Book 5) Page 20